Mr. Robinson had to travel somewhere on business and as he was in a hurry, he decided to go by air. He liked to sit beside a window when he was flying. So, when he got on to the plane, he looked for a window seat. He found all of them had already been taken except one. There was a soldier sitting in the seat beside this one and Mr. Robinson was happy that he had not taken the one by the window; but, anyhow, he at once went towards it. When he reached it, however, he saw there was a notice on it. It was written in ink and said “This seat is reserved for proper load balance. Thank you.” Mr. Robinson had never seen such a notice in a plane before, but he thought that the plane must be carrying something heavy in its baggage room which made it necessary to have the passengers properly balanced, so he walked on and found another empty seat, not beside a window, to sit in. Then, when the plane was quite full, a very beautiful girl stepped into the plane. The soldier quickly took the notice off the seat beside him and in this way succeeded in having the girl beside him during the whole trip. When he got on the plane he was happy to find that _______.
| A.a notice was put in a window seat |
| B.some of the seats were not occupied |
| C.there was a seat that he had hoped to have |
| D.the plane was not very crowded |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A.Mr. Robinson was the last passenger to get on board the plane. |
| B.Mr. Robinson was surprised to see the notice in the seat. |
| C.The window seats were all occupied when Mr. Robinson got on hoard the plane. |
| D.The plane Mr. Robinson took was heavily loaded with luggage. |
In the end Mr. Robinson found out that _________.
| A.the notice was put on the seat by the soldier. |
| B.the solider was waiting for his girl friend |
| C.the girl was the last passenger who got on the plane. |
| D.the seat by the window was kept for the last passenger. |
This short passage may be taken from a _____.
| A.novel | B.news report | C.science fiction | D.magazine. |
Living and dealing with kids can be a tough job these days, but living and dealing with parents can be even tougher.
If I have learned anything in my 16 years, it is that communication is very important, both when you disagree and when you get along. With any relationship, you need to let other person know how you are feeling. If you are not able to communicate, you drift apart. When you are mad at your parents, or anyone else, not talking to them doesn't solve anything.
Communication begins with the concerns (关心)of another. It means that you can't just come home from school, go up to your room and ignore (不理睬)everyone. Even if you just say "Hi",and see how their day was for five minutes, it is better than nothing. If you looked up the word " communication " in a dictionary, it would say " the exchange of ideas, the conveyance (表达)of information, correspondence (通信),means of communication : a letter or a message". To maintain (保持)a good relationship, you must keep communication strong. Let people know how you feel, even if it's just by writing a note.
When dealing with parents, you always have to make them feel good about how they are doing as a parent. If you are trying to make them see something as you see it, tell them that you'll listen to what they have to say, but ask them politely to listen to you. Yelling or walking away only makes the situation worse.
This is an example : one night, Sophie went to a street party with her friends. She knew she had to be home by midnight after the fireworks, but she didn't feel she could just ask to go home. That would be rude. After all, they had been nice enough to take her along with them. Needless to say, she was late getting home. Her parents were mad at first, not when Sophie explained why she was late, they weren't as mad and let the incident go. Communication is the key factor here. If Sophie's parents had not been willing to listen, Sophie would have been in a lot of trouble.
Communication isn't a one-way deal : it goes both ways. Just remember :if you get into a situation like Sophie's, telling the other person how you feel-listening is the key factor to communication.In the writer's view, dealing with parents is __________ than with children.
| A.more difficult | B.easier |
| C.more uninteresting | D.more interesting |
The main idea of the second paragraph is __________.
| A.the importance of friendship |
| B.to make your feeling known to others |
| C.the importance of communication |
| D.the disagreement between generations |
When parents and children are in communication, the key to a happy relationship is that __________.
| A.children should always obey their parents |
| B.they should be equal |
| C.parents play the leading part |
| D.both make the opposite know their feelings |
The example in this passage proves that __________.
| A.Sophie's parents are willing to listen to her |
| B.Sophie is very polite to her parents |
| C.Sophie did well in explaining her being late |
| D.communication is the solution to misunderstanding |
We all long for friendship, but how to make a friend? “The best time to make a friend is before you need one.” Joy Steven said. The following are some tips for you.
People equal friends
Friends usually begin with strangers. Getting in touch with other people is the first step to make a friend. Friends can't be made in empty air. Best friends take time to make.
Friends understand friends
Friends understand each other when talking. Many unpleasant personal quarrels can be avoided if you will take the time to understand others' feelings and points of view.
Friends touch friends
Touching is a warm from of communication between friends. When you see best friends communicating, you will notice them stand close together, touch each other comfortably and listen to each other. Sometimes a friendly touch is more powerful than words.
Friends praise friends
Praise is a powerful tool to make a friend. Honest praise can affect (影响)your friends' lives. So try to praise your friends, including your general ones.
Friends can loyal (忠诚的)and trustworthy
Trust and loyalty go hand in hand for friends. Friends can share secrets with you, because good friends never break confidence(信心)and are loyal forever.From Joy Steven's words, we can conclude that __________.
| A.a friend in need is a friend indeed |
| B.it is never too late to make a friend |
| C.it is late to make a friend when you need one |
| D.everyone needs a friend in his life |
To make and keep many friends, you need to do the following EXCEPT __________.
| A.get in touch with people |
| B.understand your friends |
| C.praise your friends |
| D.quarrel with your friends |
The passage mainly tells us __________.
| A.how to communicate with a friend |
| B.how to develop friendship |
| C.when to make a friend |
| D.how to praise a friend |
" BANG ! " the door caused a reverberation (回声). It was just standing there, with father standing on one side, and I on the other side.
We were both in great anger. " Never set foot in this house again ! " stormed father. With tears welling up in my eyes, I rushed out of the flat and ran along the street.
The street lights were shining, causing rather sad-feeling. I wandered aimlessly.
A young father who held a child in his arms walked past me. I felt as if I saw my childhood from another space : happy and carefree.
But now...I don't know whether it is because I have grown up or because dad is getting old. We differ in our ways of thinking. He always put his opinions and codes of behavior on me. Whenever I do something wrong, he never admits it. We are just like two people coming from two different worlds. It feels like there is an iron door between us that can never be opened.
I wandered the streets, without a destination in mind. My heart was frozen on this hot summer night. As I walked on there were fewer and fewer people on the streets, until I had only the street lights to keep me company. When I finally reached the high-rise apartment block in which I lived, I saw that the light was still on.
I thought to myself,"Is father waiting for me, or is he still angry with me?"
In fact, it was nothing. Perhaps, dad was throwing away some of his old stamps. Perhaps he thought they were useless. I never had the courage to tell him that I liked collecting stamps. I can't stand his outrageous (蛮横的)words," I can't throw you away, let alone these old papers?"
All the lights were off except father's.
Dad was always like this. Maybe he didn't know how to express himself. After shouting at me, he never showed any mercy or any moments of regret. After an argument he has the habit of creeping up in my sleep and then tucking me underneath the covers.
This was how he always was. He has been a leader for so long that telling everyone else what to do has become his second nature.
The light was still on. "Am I wrong?" I whispered, maybe...With the key in hand, I was as nervous as I had ever been. At last, I decided to open the door. As soon as I opened the door tears ran down my cheeks. I suddenly realized that the iron door that I had imagined between us did not exist at all. Love-it second to none.Decide which is the best order of the following according to what happened in the passage.
a. I opened the door and entered the house.
b. Sadly I ran out into the street.
c. I reached the place where I lived and saw my house still brightly lit.
d. I thought of my father's kindness towards me.
e. I walked about in the street without any aim.
| A.b, e,d, c,a | B.b, e,c, d,a |
| C.b, e,a, c,d | D.b, e,c, a,d |
What made the writer think of his childhood ?
| A.The sight of the street lights. |
| B.The sight of the empty street. |
| C.The sight of a father with a child in his arms. |
| D.The sight of light in his own house. |
Why do you think the father often shouts at his son?
| A.Perhaps the father is getting older and older. |
| B.Perhaps the son has already grown up. |
| C.Perhaps they never agree with each other. |
| D.Perhaps the father has got used to doing that. |
What conclusion can you come to after reading the passage?
| A.The father treats his son in an unfair way. |
| B.The father is actually kind to his son. |
| C.The father is neither kind nor cruel to his son. |
| D.The father is always finding fault with his son. |
Are you a media addict who would go mad after two hours without TV, friend requests, exciting online games and your mobile or would you easily survive?
Recently, university students around the world were asked to volunteer in a global experiment called Unplugged. It was designed to see how young people would react if they were asked to observe a total media ban (禁令)by unplugging (切断)all forms of media devices for 24 hours.
Unplugged is being run by Dr. Roman Gerodimos, a lecturer in Communication and Journalism at Bournemouth University. Dr. Gerodimos said there were already signs of how much the exercise affected volunteers. " They're reporting withdrawal symptoms (脱瘾症状),overeating, feeling nervous, lonely and disconnected. "
During the 24-hour experiment, three of the experiment's guinea pigs had to bear one intrusion (扰乱)from the media : a BBC reporter and cameraman who followed them around for the day. They were asked to write down 100 lines about their day off-line, but of course, they all waited until the next day when they had access to their laptops.
Elliot Day wrote,"Today, my whole morning routine (常规)was thrown up into the air. Despite being aware of the social importance of the media, I was surprised by how empty my life felt without the radio or newspapers. "
And Charlotte Gay wrote," I have to say the most difficult item for me to be without has been my mobile; not only is it a social tool, but also it's my main access point of communication. "
Earlier in the year, a UK government study found that in the UK we spend about half our waking hours using the media, often plugged into several things at once.
So, with technology continuing to develop at an alarming rate, how much time will you set aside for sleep in the future?What's the purpose of the first paragraph?
| A.o ask for information. | B.To entertain the readers. |
| C.To lead to the topic. | D.To present an idea. |
About Dr. Roman Gerodimos' experiment, we know that __________.
| A.volunteers felt uncomfortable in it |
| B.three pigs were included in it |
| C.a BBC reporter discussed the experiment |
| D.volunteers were allowed to take their laptops |
The underlined expression "was thrown up into the air" in the fifth paragraph means __________.
| A.went on normally | B.was completely disturbed |
| C.turned out perfectly | D.was badly designed |
Which of the following can best serve as the title of the passage?
| A.Surviving without the media. |
| B.Unplugging your life. |
| C.Valuing social communication. |
| D.Setting aside time for sleep. |
Success is often measured by the ability to overcome adversity. But, it is often the belief of others that gives us the courage to try.
J. K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter book series, began writing at age 6. In her biography, she remembers with great fondness when her good friend, Sean, whom she met in secondary school, became the first person to encourage her and help build the confidence that one day she would be a very good writer.
"He was the first person with whom I really discussed my serious ambition to be a writer. He was also the only person who thought I was bound to be a success at it, which pieant much more to me than I ever told him at the time. "
Despite many setbacks Rowling persevered in her writing, particularly fantasy stories. But it wasn't until 1990 that she first conceived the idea about Harry Potter. As she recalls, it was on a long train journey from London to Manchester that " the idea of Harry Potter simply fell into my head. To my immense frustration (沮丧),I didn't have a functioning pen with me, and I was too shy to ask anybody if I could borrow one. I think, now, that this was probably a good thing, because I simply sat and thought, for four (delayed train) hours, and all the details bubbled up in my brain, and this scrawny, black-haired, bespectacled boy who didn't know he was a wizard became more and more real to me. "
That same year, her mother passed away after a ten-year battle with multiple sclerosis, which deeply affected her writing. She went on to marry and had a daughter, but separated from her husband shortly afterwards.
During this time, Rowling was diagnosed with clinical depression. Unemployed, she completed her first novel in area cafes, where she could get her daughter to fall asleep. After being rejected by 12publishing houses, the first Harry Potter novel was sold to a small British publishing house.
Now with seven books that have sold nearly 400 million copies in 64 languages, J. K. Rowling is the highest earning novelist in history. And it all began with her commitment to writing that was fostered by the confidence of a friend !Rowling first came up with the idea about Harry Potter __________.
| A.at the age of 6 |
| B.on a train journey |
| C.after her mother's death |
| D.in her secondary school |
She felt frustrated on the train because __________.
| A.her train was delayed for four hours |
| B.she didn't have a pen with her |
| C.her mind suddenly went blank |
| D.no one would offer her help |
It can be concluded from Paragraph 5 and 6 that Rowling is __________.
| A.open-minded | B.warm-hearted |
| C.good-natured | D.strong-willed |
The text mainly tells us __________.
| A.hardship makes a good novelist |
| B.the courage to try is a special ability |
| C.you can have a wonderful idea everywhere |
| D.encouragement contributes to one's success |